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Not too much early history on the mill building, but it has been extended over the years to accommodate the ever expanding business until its closure in 2009. The building have workshops, storage area’s, offices and also had living quarters. There is also a nice little culvert lurking under the main buildings.

Company History

Dronsfields Mercedes are the largest independent Mercedes car & commercial specialist in Europe.
A Saddleworth company based at Wall Hill Mill, a family run business with over 30 years experience in the vehicle maintenance industry. Its ever-growing worldwide customer database is a testimony to the professionalism and logistical skills of the company’s workforce.
Dronsfields Mercedes have a fully equipped servicing workshop, with trained Mercedes Benz technicians using the latest computer diagnostic equipment. The Service Department’s dedicated team of experts are on hand 7 days a week to give a friendly and reliable service, offering professional servicing at competitive rates. The business also provides courtesy cars, as well as offering a recovery and collection facility.
The company’s new, used and reconditioned car & commercial parts department carry vast stocks of mechanical, electrical and panel work
The Dobcross site covers 8 acres, which means the company can fulfil customers requirements directly from under one roof. And – being ever conscious of the fragility of the global environment – Dronsfields Mercedes carries out its obligations to future generations by recycling its vehicles to government specifications and beyond.
Dronsfields Mercedes take pride in giving their discerning clients what they expect and more. Some of these include: Securicor, Securitas, Mercedes Benz Charterway, Pickfords and Arriva.

Relocation and future of the site

ONE of Saddleworth’s iconic businesses, Dronsfield Mercedes, has relocated to Royton in 2009.
The family-run operation, formerly at Dobcross, is Europe’s largest independent supplier of Mercedes cars, commercial vehicles and parts. It also has a global remit.
It has opened streamlined, purpose-build premises on a nine-acre site in Mossdown Road, Royton, to improve customer services and facilities.
The company, which opened 40 years ago, decided on the move from Wall Hill Mill in Saddleworth because it was “bursting at the seams”.
Now the new fast-track systems and process of new orders has lead to subsequent rapid growth and it has already increasing its work force to a total of 48.
And new facilities, coupled with technical skills, mean a vehicle can be stripped down in less than an hour.
The significant increase in storage also offers customers a fast-track computerised parts service.
The company released the Wall Hill Road site because it is no longer suitable for modern employment use. Access improvements alone would have cost over Â£1 million.
The site is for sale for private development with planning permission for 40 houses and apartments.
Dronsfields claims this development would guarantee the new access, significantly improve highway safety and open up the way to exclude heavy goods vehicles permanently from Wall Hill Road.

My Visit

I had known about this site for a bit, even looked at it a few years ago shortly after it closed, but it was locked up tight.
Roll on a couple of years and just happened to be passing again, it wasn’t too long until I found myself in one of the workshops.

ing

Having not seen any report from here before, and not knowing too much about what the company did I wasn’t expecting much, there was evidence of metal thieves having been at work, but not as bad as a few places I have been recently. At least there were a couple of pictures on the walls.

The complex is in 2 halves, this is the older part, with the accommodation, offices, spare part storage and board rooms.

Even a completed jigsaw on the wall.

Things were improving, it was turning into a nice explore, board rooms next.

From here I made my way to the newer part of the complex, which is made up of a couple of vast workshops and again some offices. There was also this big white van!

The workshops were pretty empty, this being one of the few interesting features.

All that was left was a trip up to the offices, bloody hell I thought I’d hit the jackpot!

The whole floor and office was covered in nice crisp Â£20 notes, they turned out to be samples possibly used in marketing or something?

The offices were interesting to have a wander around.

Even and old Singer sowing machine.

And finished the tour in the canteen.

There’s 2 3 year old bottles of milk sat in the sun and a bottle of sweet sherry to finish the tour with.